Coming Off TRT After a Year, Advice Required on Both Sides of Staying on & PCT

I’ve been on TRT now for just over a year, started off on Clomid, felt really good… energy was back, less anxiety, increased confidence but no help with ED/Libido other than 3 weeks into treatment, and another 3 weeks after I stopped, presumably either e2 at a good level or the benefit of my natural production alongside, my e2 was very raised by Clomid on paper (but felt fine), DR put me onto too higher dose back before I knew better of anastrozole, I crashed although it didn’t show on paper, and I was moved onto Sustanon and was feeling terrible. At the time that seemed like a good idea as everyone on these forums slates Clomid and the idea of “wait until you’re on test you’ll feel amazing”…

I started at the DR’s dose of Sustanon 250mg (1ml) injected fortnightly, I then switched to 125mg weekly, to the dose of 62.5mg twice weekly (e3.5d) that I’m currently on, nothing made me feel much improved so added hCG as people claim other benefits such as increased wellbeing & libido/ED help.

So as of now, and the previous 3 months my protocol is 62.5mg (0.25ml) Sustanon injected IM E3.5d, hCG 500iu injected IM twice weekly, Anastrozole 0.25mg once weekly or as/when I need it, always make me feel terrible if too much taken.

So here I am, I feel I’ve tried everything available to me here in the UK as I still feel awful, ED/Libido is bad, severely anxious, bordering depressed… I want to come off TRT, but using a sensible PCT, that’s one reason I added HCG in a few months back. Even if I go back to Clomid, mentally it made me feel well!

I have a blood test booked for my trough day, to see what my body says on paper again before I fully commit to coming off incase something obvious stands out, but I can’t see it & I’ve tried many different protocols.

I’ve had no bloods taken whilst on HCG, so these will be my first, here’s some previous bloods:

My previous bloods were done on injecting 0.5ml Sustanon once weekly, and blood was drawn on the morning before my weekly injection.

The results were as follows:

Serum Testosterone - 16.3nmol/L {469 ng/dL} (Reference - 7.6 - 31.4 nnol/L).

Free Testosterone - 0.36nmol/L {10ng/dL} (Reference 0.17 - 0.67) nmol/L).

SHGB - 24nmol/L {691 ng/dL} (Reference 15 - 64nmol/L).

Serum Oestradiol - 123pmol/L (Reference 41.4 - 159pmol/L).

Serum Albumin - 52g/L (Reference 35 - 50g/L).

Serum Prolactin - 233mu/L (Reference - 86 - 324mu/L).

FSH&LH - 0.1iu/L (Reference 1.5 - 12.40 - shutdown as expected).

BLOOD COUNT: (Posting those with abnormalities).

  • Neutrophil Count - 13.5 (Reference - 1.9 - 7.5).

  • Monocyte Count - 1.9 (Reference - 0.20 - 1.00

  • Haemoglobin - 187g/L (Reference - 135 - 180g/L).

  • Total white cell count - 19 (Reference 4 - 11).

  • Haematocrit - 0.56 (Reference 0.40 - 0.54).

NOTE FROM LAB OF MILD POLYCYTHAEMIA

After I switched my injections to twice weekly, 0.25ml Monday morning & Thursday evening. I also did a blood donation to lower both my haematocrit & haemoglobin levels as many people on here strongly recommended.

I’ve now been on twice weekly injections for a month & a half, I had bloods drawn on Wednesday Morning to try and get my peak as was worried my estrogen was high due to really severe anxiety & being extremely emotional, tired & distant aswell as still having zero libido & ED…

My most recent labs are as follows:

Serum Testosterone - 34nmol/L (Reference 7.6 - 31.4).

Free Testosterone - 0.9nmol/L (Reference 0.17 - 0.67).

Oestradiol - 212pmol/L (Reference 41.4 - 159).

Serum Albumin - 48g/L (Reference 35 - 50).

SHGB - 22nmol/L (Reference 15 - 64).

Prolactin - 326mu/L (Reference 86 - 324).

Ferritin 49ug/L (Reference 30 - 400).

RED BLOOD COUNT:

Haemoglobin - 183g/L (Reference 135 - 180).

Haematocrit - 0.542 (Reference 0.40 - 0.54).

So I will have update bloods come next week on my protocol with HCG, and twice weekly injection… but I’m still pretty sure I want to find a sensible PCT, anyone offer any ideas or suggestions on a PCT or anything else I should try before I do come off?

Thankyou!

Your estrogen has likely been the reason why you haven’t started feeling better since you’ve been on TRT, once you get it under control only then will you start feeling the benefits. Your at a disadvantage in the UK since you don’t even have the proper estrogen test that you need.

But whenever I begin anastrozole, I feel terrible. I’ve tried dosing 1/4 weekly, 1/4 twice weekly and even half… each time I feel really bad.

Your estrogen is high, but your prolactin is way up there…Are you taking anti-psychotics or SSRI/SNRI?

E2=212 pmol/L should be closer to 80, this is holding you down.
Prolactin may be a problem.

Anastrozole needs to be a steady dose and then serum levels of anastrozole take a week to get to steady state. You might be an anastrozole over-responder. Try 1/8th mg twice a week.

There is a HPTA restart sticky.

In UK, you can easily be iodine deficient. See ‘body temperatures’ below.

Please read the stickies found here: About the T Replacement Category - #2 by KSman

  • advice for new guys - need more info about you
  • things that damage your hormones
  • protocol for injections
  • finding a TRT doc

Evaluate your overall thyroid function by checking oral body temperatures as per the thyroid basics sticky. Thyroid hormone fT3 is what gets the job done and it regulates mitochondrial activity, the source of ATP which is the universal currency of cellular energy. This is part of the body’s temperature control loop. This can get messed up if you are iodine deficient. In many countries, you need to be using iodized salt. Other countries add iodine to dairy or bread.

KSman is simply a regular member on this site. Nothing more other than highly active.

I can be a bit abrupt in my replies and recommendations. I have a lot of ground to cover as this forum has become much more active in the last two years. I can’t follow threads that go deep over time. You need to respond to all of my points and requests as soon as possible before you fall off of my radar. The worse problems are guys who ignore issues re thyroid, body temperatures, history of iodized salt. Please do not piss people off saying that lab results are normal, we need lab number and ranges.

The value that you get out of this process and forum depends on your effort and performance. The bulk of your learning is reading/studying the suggested stickies.